How to Turn Your Tights Into Knee Socks

Get the Rookie newsletter!

Leave this field empty if you're human:

September’s theme is ON THE VERGE. For details on how to send us your work, please read our Submit page. ✴

About Rookie

Rookie is an online magazine and book series for teenagers. Each month, a different editorial theme drives the writing, photography, and artwork that we publish. Learn more about us here, and find out how to submit your work here!

Next Article

Here’s a quick and ridiculously easy way to repurpose old or too-small tights! This DIY was the result of my own personal addiction to buying adorably patterned (but way-too-small) kids’ tights. I was determined to figure out a way to make them wearable, and eventually I got the idea to just turn them into socks! Here’s how I did it.

You’ll need:

Legging-style tights—children’s tights are perfect for this, in my experience, but adult-size tights will work fine too.

Scissors

A sewing machine (preferably with a zigzag function)

How to do it:

1. Fold your tights in half, making sure the bottom hems are lined up nice and even.

2. Use a ruler to measure about four inches* away from the seat seam. Mark this measurement.

* If you want your socks to be taller/shorter then please feel free to adjust this measurement to your liking.

3. Cut straight across from the measurement you marked in the previous step.

4. After you cut the legs off from the tights you’ll have these two tubular pieces of fabric. Sew the raw ends of the tubes shut with a zigzag stitch. I like to sew mine with the sock right-side out; that way the seam will be on the outside of the sock rather than inside where it can irritate your toes.

I did this just the other day! Regular nylon material doesn’t dye with regular dyes (like Rit) but they will dye with food colouring. All you have to do is either a) pre-soak them in a mixture of half vinegar and half water or B) mix your food colour with vinegar and then dip your tights (for tie-dye) or dunk the whole thing into dye. This method usually works best if you heat your tights in the microwave afterwards (allows the colours to set better), then let them cool down gradually, dry them out, and away you go! Just make sure not to let them get too hot in the microwave as they could catch on fire! I got some really amazing tie-dye results out of this!

Don’t worry, 4 words for you my friend: Knee socks under trousers.
It’s what I do to keep warm in our school (which doesn’t turn the heating on until at least 20% of the students are blue).
Best part is, they can defy dress code as much as you want because no one will see them :)

Related: doing this to my tights. Like now. Hope I don’t need any tights soon…

This is so cool. I also like your post about pasting plastic bling all over your tights, only I can’t find it anymore!? I have a fashion fiction character: Lily Max. She has a website: lilymax.co.nz and a facebook page: LilyMax Fan Club. I was wondering if you’d allow me to post pics of these crafts with links back to Rookie? Absolutely will not do a thing unless I get the get-go from you. Thanks so much.

Ok, Marlena, I have a challenge for you: I have a pair of adorable ombre fishnets with a really beautiful lacy pattern. Problem is, the ombre dip-dye job is really quite shoddy and it makes my legs look cut off and weird. It’s a shame to relegate such nice stockings to a corner of my drawer–any ideas on what I could do with them? I’m thinking this kneesocks trick isn’t going to work.